


Someone's Watching Over You

by a1_kitkat



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Canon Gay Relationship, Clubbing, First Kiss, High School, M/M, Not Beta Read, Pre-Canon, Protectiveness, Secret Crush, museum kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-25 00:13:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17714369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: Michael decides to skip town but, miles from home, he sees Alex Manes visiting a gay club and follows him inside





	Someone's Watching Over You

**Author's Note:**

> I don't normally like to write too many fics prior to knowing too much canon/backstory but this idea came to me which led to the museum kiss which is canon.
> 
> Also, I've kinda borrowed a tiny bit from the original series with Michael's foster family which may or may not be true to this reboot
> 
>  
> 
> And I'm sorry if the ending was a bit uneventful... I suck at knowing where to end stuff
> 
>  
> 
> Edit: this goes without saying but feel free to leave a comment & let me know what you did or didn’t like about my work so I can rectify it in the next one :)

His bag had been packed for weeks and hastily shoved under his bed; Michael knew his foster dad wouldn’t think to look there or anywhere for it, the man rarely set foot in Michael’s room anymore especially since Michael spent so very little time there these days but he was so close to breaking point. He’d often sneak into Max’s room under the cloak of darkness then sneak out very early in the morning before being seen, if anyone did see they’d probably assume the two were having a secret relationship.  
It wasn’t a total lie really, the true nature of their relationship was a secret; just not the type everyone would think it was. Not even Max’s parents knew that he kept a sleeping bag hidden under his bed for the nights that Michael needed it… He’d been needing it more and more lately too and they both knew it couldn’t go on like this much longer.

With over six months until Michael’s birthday, he was stuck in his foster care home and knew this was the only way out. He didn’t want to leave Roswell; he really didn’t because if he was going to find a way to get the three of them back home, he needed to be near their crash site. He’d scavenged as much debris as he could which was basically all that was packed in his bag, hoping he could do his research on the move. He’d stay in touch with Max and Isobel, of course then when it was safe and he was legally of age, he could come back.  
The only reason he hadn’t gone yet was his inability to say goodbye to either of his friends. 

But now the day had come, during final period of school, he hastily scribbled a note and waited until he was certain Max had left for the day then he slipped it into his locker. He knew his friend wouldn’t see it until Monday which gave him a few days head start.  
Michael hurried home, grabbed his bag and made his way outside where he knew it would be a long wait to hitch a ride from someone. After waiting by the roadside for about fifteen minutes, a truck pulled up and he jumped into the cab. He watched as the familiar streets slipped away and the city disappeared in the rear view mirror. The trucker tried to make small talk but Michael wasn’t in the mood. They drove on for over two hours as Michael tried to imagine what would happen come Monday or how long it would take his foster family to realize he’d taken off.

When the truck pulled into a truck stop in La Cruces, Michael thanked the driver and hopped out. He intended to find a bus shelter and buy a ticket so he wouldn’t have to rely on anyone to get him away from Roswell. He only needed himself. He asked for directions then made his way to the shelter where he discovered that most of the long haul buses didn’t depart until much later in the evening. It was not long after eight so he looked around for somewhere to take cover. A diner with a ‘open twenty four hours’ sign over the door caught his eye and he went inside, settled at a booth in the far corner and hid under the hood of his jacket. The only reading material they had was the newspaper so he picked it up and took cover behind it, hoping to not have to make conversation with anyone.

Michael was staring at the crossword when he thought he heard a familiar voice which caused him to look up but stay hidden behind the paper. Lo and behold, Alex Manes was standing by the counter and he appeared very nervous.

“Uh excuse me, ma’am?” Alex addressed the waitress.  
“How can I help you, darling?” she replied with a wink and a smile.  
“I uh what’s uh the number of this building?”  
“Eighteen, what’s the name of the place you’re after, darl?”  
“Uh”

Michael watched as Alex shifted from one foot to the other, brushed his long hair off his face, smiled nervously at her.  
“It’s uh… I think it’s called the uh the hive?” Alex stammered; he wouldn’t quite meet her eye which Michael found odd. His own eyes darted to the waitress who winked at Alex again.  
“Of course, darl” she smiled “of course you’re looking for that. It’s the door across the street with the picture of the bee on it… But you’re a mite young for that crowd, ain’t ya?”  
“I’ll be okay” he assured her as he handed her a few dollar bills for her help “I’ve got brothers, I can handle myself”

Alex nodded his thanks then turned around, Michael ducked behind the newspaper. He listened to the retreating footsteps then the bell sounded as the door closed behind him. The waitress turned to a fellow staff member and began to giggle.  
“Poor dear” she shook her head “he’ll be eaten alive in there. Sweet boy, generous tipper”

“Excuse me?” Michael heard himself call from across the café.  
“Can I get you more coffee, sweetheart?” she asked him as she approached his table.  
“Uh, no thank you… I was just uh what’s ‘The Hive’?” he didn’t know why he wanted to know.  
“It’s a gay club. We get a lot of the first timers coming in here and asking directions”  
“And uh why do you think he’s going to be ‘eaten alive’?”  
“The pretty ones always are” she shrugged “did you like what you saw, sweetie?”  
“I uh I know one of his brothers” it wasn’t a total lie. “I uh wouldn’t want anything to happen to him, you know?”  
“Oh sweetie, they’d eat you right up in there too”

She topped up his drink anyway before taking her leave. Michael stayed put and sipped on the coffee for a little while. Alex Manes was a long way from Roswell, had he come all this way just to go to a gay club? He’d heard whispers about Manes; perhaps they were true after all. He knew he needed to get going to the bus shelter, had left his bag in the locker there and needed to collect it before buying his ticket but there was just something about the idea of Alex Manes being in a gay club that he really wanted to see.  
Michael stood up, placed a wad of notes on the table and walked out. He made his way across the street and paused outside the door with the bee. He knocked and a bouncer opened it, asked for his ID which he manipulated as he got it wallet out. He was let in and he wondered how Manes had managed to get in.

He followed the dim lights down the stairs and into a very dingy looking bar with music that made his ears bleed. Michael ordered a drink then slinked to the back of the room to survey his surroundings. Men were dancing with men, women were giggling together and at the far end of the bar, a burly man was already attempting to chat up Manes. Michael sat with his drink, just watching and observing how everyone interacted. Some guys closer to his age approached Manes and struck up a conversation.  
It only took a few minutes for them to have him on the dance floor and Michael found himself staring. He’d never seen a smile like that before, the way Manes’ entire face lit up and he moved with a confidence Michael didn’t know he had. It was mesmerizing to the point that Michael was tempted to join him but no he stayed in the shadows and just watched.

“The one in the red shirt” he heard a voice sitting behind him and turned around.  
A group of older men were in the booth next to his and, like him, they were staring at Alex Manes.  
“He’s definitely new around here” one of them agreed.  
“You think he’s looking for someone to take him home?” the first guy pondered.  
“Forget taking him home, just take him here” his friend teased.  
“I’d love to feel those lips on my cock”  
“Wouldn’t we all?”  
“What if we all took him? Take him home and have a little fun?”

Michael clenched his fist and, as the sleazy leader of the group raised his glass for a drink, it shattered in his hand, sending shards in his eyes and his mouth. There was panic as his friends didn’t know what to do. Michael shrank back as he heard someone call out for an ambulance. This appeared to rattle Alex who decided to call it a night and, to the disappointment of his new friends, he called it a night.  
Michael slipped out after him but kept his distance, afraid someone might think he was stalking him. He followed Alex all the way to the bus shelter and saw him sit down to wait. He didn’t want to be seen but he had to go in for his bag anyway so he continued past Alex and inside the building. Michael collected his belongings then headed towards the counter to buy a ticket to his still-undecided destination. Once he reached the counter, he looked up at the ticket seller then outside at Alex.

“Where are you off to, son?” the inspector asked him.  
“One ticket to Roswell please”

*****

Monday morning saw Michael breaking into Max’s locker to steal back his note but he was still in the locker when Max caught him. He’d never been able to lie to his friend so he told him as close to the truth as he could, that he’d decided to leave but had changed his mind. Unfortunately for him, Max immediately told Isobel and Michael spent the next three days listening to them both berate him for attempting to abandon both of them.

He kept his eyes on alert and found himself watching Alex over the following days to see if he acted any different. He seemed happier which Michael realized was from self-acceptance. He remembered how he felt when he realized himself that it was okay to be aroused by the idea of getting it off with a guy or a girl. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes though, he probably wouldn’t have picked Alex Manes as queer but now that he knew he was, the knowledge made him smile.

Michael was sitting behind Alex and Maria Deluca in study hall and could just faintly hear them whispering to each other. He was curious so he chose to eavesdrop. Alex was telling her about his experience and his desire to go back despite it being a nearly three hour trip, Maria was trying to convince him to stay closer to Roswell. She didn’t like the idea of him being out there all alone. He explained that he had to travel; it was too risky to stay in town. Michael couldn’t argue that, if Alex’s dad found out what he was up to…  
She told him of a bar in another neighboring town that was only an hour away and suggested he go there instead. By the end of study hall, Alex had agreed and Michael had already decided to follow him.

*

His foster father was passed out, drunk, on the couch when Michael returned from school on Friday afternoon. This suited him just fine as it solved his transport problem. He swiped the car keys and waited until after dark before taking off. Michael had no idea how Alex intended to travel to his destination but when he reached the outskirts of the nearby town, he recognized a car belonging to one of the Manes boys. He drove on and parked further away, unsure if there was a chance Alex would be able to identify the car.  
Michael wasn’t sure where to go next, wasn’t exactly the type to go looking for a gay club or bar. Fortunately for him, two men across the road were walking hand in hand so he opted to follow them. Their destination was even more discreet than the one in La Cruces but he still had no trouble getting past the bouncer.

The crowd here appeared even more rowdy than the last place which made him a little uncomfortable. With his powers, he could hold his own but he really didn’t want anything to go wrong. On the other hand, this was clearly a proper place of business… The owners wouldn’t want any trouble either and if trouble did happen frequently, the place would be shut down, right?

With a drink in hand, he moved around the very crowded room, his eyes on alert for any sign of Manes. Everyone was pressed so close together, the lights were very low and the music was loud. Everything about this place unsettled him everything except Alex Manes anyway. When he finally spotted him, he almost spilt his drink from shock for he was dancing very, very close to a possibly college aged man and the top three buttons of his shirt were open. Oddly enough whenever the man would try to slide his hand down Manes’ shirt, he’d playfully slap it away.  
Alex Manes was a fucking tease and Michael loved it.

He downed his drink and slinked away into a far corner where he could just watch the man dance with a growing confidence. Michael watched as Manes danced with anyone who asked him, the man didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and he smiled happily at all of them. The one who’d been trying to under his shirt, kept coming back for more and more dancing but Manes was having too much fun to realize his actions were frustrating the man.  
Michael saw, was very away of the effect Manes was having on him. When Manes eventually left the dance floor and made his way towards the bathroom, Michael saw the man follow him and leaped off his stool to follow them both.

The back hall which led to the restroom was even darker and it took a moment for Michael’s eyes to adjust. Several couples were all over each other back here, some doing more than just kissing. He moved past all of them and tried to block out the sounds and the music, listening for Manes’ voice.

“Hey, what are you doing man?” Michael heard it and hurried towards it.  
“Getting what I want” 

Michael rounded the corner and found them; Manes was pinned against the wall while the man’s hands were tugging at the front of his pants. He didn’t even hesitate; Michael raced forward, threw all his weight forward and tackled the man to the ground. He was protected by the darkness when the man tried to defend himself and wasn’t able to land any punches in any sensitive spots. Michael lost control for just a moment, long enough for his return punch to send the man flying across the hall. He felt a hand on his arm as someone helped him up and he hastened to make sure his hood was still covering his face.

“Are you okay?” Alex asked him.  
It was wrong to do it but Michael yanked himself free of Alex’s hold and hurried away. As he reached the corner, the other man was long gone. He continued on and straight out of the bar. Michael didn’t look back as he hurried away and didn’t stop until he was back by the car. His heart was racing. What had possessed him to get involved? Why had he even followed Manes here tonight? He was sure his classmate wasn’t entirely helpless but something had compelled him to want to help him.

He started the car and took off, heading back to Roswell and vowing never to follow Alex Manes again.

*****

Michael was in his usual spot at the UFO museum, staring at the exhibit of the ‘little green men’ whose arrival had put Roswell on the map for all the wrong reasons. He’d been coming here for as long as he could remember; had searched every inch of the place for any information about the crash that might hold even the tiniest semblance of truth. He’d been there so often that his neighbor, the owner, had offered him a part time job as soon as he was old enough to legally be employed.  
Kids would often sneak in overnight and have childish fun with the exhibits; something Michael himself probably would’ve done in his youth had the contents of the museum not been so close to his heart. It was almost closing time and he was just doing a final check before calling it a day when he heard voices behind him and instinctively ducked out of site.

A moment later, Alex Manes and Maria DeLuca rounded the corner. He shrank back and stayed out of sight. The two friends were in deep conversation as Manes was telling her of his encounter the previous night. She sounded much more concerned than he did about the entire incident.

“You were so lucky that mystery man showed up when he did” she hissed at him.  
“Are you saying I can’t handle myself?” he snapped back.  
“Of course not, Alex” she did sound sympathetic. Michael peered out from his hiding spot for a better look at them. “But you said yourself that the guy almost kissed you”  
“Yeah”  
“Think about it, do you really want your first kiss to be with some stranger in an overcrowded bar? Against your will?”  
“Well, no but it’s not like some handsome guy is just waiting around to kiss me”  
“Alex-”

Michael watched as Manes moved towards the exhibit and looked up at the cheesy statues of the green men with big heads, tiny bodies and odd eyes.

“Do you think if aliens did land here that they ever felt like I do?” Manes asked her.  
“What?” she moved towards him and took his hand in hers.  
“Aliens on Earth, walking among us humans and feeling like they don’t belong… Like no one else could possibly understand them”  
“Alex, being gay doesn’t make you an alien”  
“Sometimes I feel like I am… Like I don’t fit in, like everyone knows I’m different”  
“Don’t think like that, Alex, you are who you are and someday, the man of your dreams is going to come wandering into your life and just know that you’re the one for him… And you won’t feel so alone anymore… Not that you should ever feel alone with me and Liz watching out for you”  
“Thanks, M”

She hugged him close and peered at her watch.  
“Speaking of, I have to go and meet Liz” she explained “good call on meeting here to talk, the place is deserted!”  
“It’s why I like it” Manes replied.  
“You coming out then or are you gonna stay a bit?”  
“I’m gonna stay till they kick me out”  
“I’ll call you later, okay?”  
“Okay”

Michael watched as Manes hugged her goodbye and she walked away, leaving him by himself to continue gazing at the little green men.  
“If anyone found out you existed, they’d run you outta town” Manes told the inanimate statue. 

“You really think that?” Michael heard himself say aloud. His voice echoed in the room and Manes turned around to stare at him, his eyes wide with shock.  
“Guerin?” he gasped. “What are you-?”  
“I work here”  
“How long have you been-?”

Michael moved closer, could see the fear in his eyes as he tried to determine just how much of his conversation had been overheard.  
“A while, actually” Michael replied. He wanted to be honest but wasn’t sure why. Was it simply because Manes was, in his own way, comparing himself to Michael? He’d spent his entire life knowing he was different, that he didn’t fit in but at least he’d had Max and Isobel by his side. Manes had friends like Maria and Liz but they weren’t like him, couldn’t even begin to relate to what he was thinking or feeling.  
“How much did you-?” he didn’t seem to be able to finish a single question.  
“I didn’t overhear anything about your trip to the hive in La Cruces if that’s what you’re asking”

Panic washed over his face as all color appeared to drain from it. Michael knew he was giving the poor boy a mini heart attack with every word he said but he just couldn’t stop himself.

“The… The Hive?” Alex stammered. “I never… Never told anyone”  
“That you went?”  
“The name of the place. How do you?”  
“Because I saw you” Michael confessed “saw you in the diner asking for directions and I followed you in there”

These words appeared to anger Manes as he reached out and grabbed the front of Michael’s shirt with both hands. He pulled Michael towards him with a strength Michael didn’t know he had, Manes hadn’t been kidding when he said he could handle himself.

“You followed me, Guerin?” Manes snapped. He sounded angry but the fear was still in his deep eyes. Michael stared into his bright orbs, didn’t even blink.  
“I did and I liked what I saw” Michael confessed. 

Manes loosened his grip just a little so Michael brought his hand up and placed it atop of his.  
“I watched you on the dance floor” Michael continued “and you looked so happy, like you were having so much fun and I think I was jealous that you could just let go like that”  
“Jealous? I had to travel for three hours to make sure someone like you didn’t see me”  
“Someone like me?”  
“Someone, anyone from Roswell”  
“And last night? When that jerk had his hands all over you” Michael was still looking into his eyes and holding his hand to his chest “something in me just snapped and I had to do something”  
“That was you?” Manes swallowed hard “why did you run away? I wanted to thank you for what you did”  
“I didn’t want you to know I was there… That I’d followed you because I was worried that something would happen”  
“Michael Guerin, worried about me?” 

“Of course” Michael carefully lowered their hands “I was worried someone else would beat me”  
“Beat you?” Manes was beyond confused and it brought a smile to Michael’s lips.  
“I wanted to be the first to do this”

Michael reached up and slid his hand behind Alex’s neck then he pulled the confused man towards him. Their lips came together and the rest of the world ceased to exist especially once he felt Alex’s hand in his hair, deepening the embrace. It was everything he’d hoped for and more. For someone who’d never been kissed before, Alex was surprisingly good and just went with it, letting Michael take control and dominance over the embrace.  
But it was over all too soon when the sound of footsteps caused them to separate and Alex leaped as far away from Michael as possible just as a figure appeared in the doorway. It was Michael’s boss.

Alex seemed to take the interruption as a sign to scamper. Michael watched him walk away without saying a word then he turned and apologized to his boss before moving about to finish the walk through, to make sure there was no one left inside before locking up for the evening. Fearing he’d missed his chance but not ready to go home yet, Michael made his way to the crashdown where he found Maria at the counter talking to Liz. At the booth in the far corner he could see Max and Isobel so he took it upon himself to join them.

Sometime later, Michael looked up as the door opened and Alex stepped into the café. The other man made a beeline for the counter and sank down in a stool next to Maria. He didn’t look around so he wasn’t aware that Michael was there, watching him. Michael did something he shouldn’t’ve and he eavesdropped on their conversation.

“I need to talk to you, now” Alex insisted.  
“Alex, what happened?” Maria gasped. “You… You’re practically glowing!”  
“You were right about the man of my dreams wandering into my life”  
“What?”  
“After you left the museum, I turned around and he was there”  
“Did you hit your head?”  
“He came out of nowhere, M, and he kissed me”  
Michael didn’t need to be eavesdropping to hear the excited shriek from Maria.

“What do you suppose that’s about?” Max asked the two of them as they all watched Maria hug Alex.  
“Who knows” Isobel snapped “Who cares?”

“Do you think you’ll see him again?” Maria was asking Alex. “Do you think you’ll kiss him again?”  
“I hope so, M” Michael heard Alex respond. “God, I hope so”

“Michael!” Isobel all but shouted to get his attention.  
“What?” he snapped at her, annoyed she was interrupting him.  
“God, what’s the matter with you? I haven’t seen you smile like that in… well, ever”  
“Nothing’s the matter, Iz, something’s finally going right, okay?”  
“So you’re not planning on running off again?”  
“Nope, not now that I’ve got a reason to stay” his eyes moved across the room.  
“Good, you’ve finally seen sense then”

He was still pretending to read the daily specials when Alex turned around and saw him. They held each other’s gaze for a long time and Michael couldn’t hold back the smile from forming on his lips. Across the room, Alex did the same before he got to his feet, said goodbye to both Liz and Maria then turned on his heel and walked from the café.  
Michael waited until he was clear before getting to his feet, mumbled an inaudible excuse to leave then he scampered outside. 

Michael had reached the alley behind the café when he stopped and saw Alex leaning against the wall.  
“Going somewhere, Guerin?” Alex asked him.  
“Yeah, actually” Michael replied “I’m going somewhere very quiet and isolated where no one will see or disturb me”  
Alex frowned as Michael walked right past him but he’d only gone a few steps before he turned back, looked at him.  
“Are you coming or not?” he asked him.

Alex cast his eyes around to make sure no one was around, no one could possible see them and he nodded his head.  
“Where are we going?” Alex asked.  
“Back to the museum, of course” Michael explained “I have a key and… I can now say that good things happen there”  
“Especially when it’s dark?”  
“Especially when I’m with you”


End file.
